Since Jan. 5, 2008 at 2 a.m.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Joba Chamberlain, known for his blazing fastball and devastating slider, is learning a new pitch, courtesy of Chien-Ming Wang.

Chamberlain seems likely to open the season in the bullpen, but he’s trying to widen his repertory as the Yankees stretch him out as a starter in spring training. He has been playing catch every day with Chien-Ming Wang, and he said Wang had taught him the sinker, which he used for three ground-ball outs on Monday.

Last year, it was not an effective pitch for him. “It kind of stayed straight or got hit real far,” Chamberlain said. But now the pitch could come in handy to get grounders and to keep his pitch count down.

“I actually feel pretty comfortable with it, which is surprising,” he said. “It’s not a swing-and-miss pitch, but it’s a pitch that’s going to get ground balls when you need them.”

Chamberlain threw 14 pitches to Edwin Encarnacion, eventually striking him out on a curveball. If he could get first-pitch grounders, that would be extremely helpful in letting him go deeper into games.

If he could harness this pitch, it would make him even more dangerous.